


Size

by Aria6



Series: A Coyote's Stories [50]
Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Gin and Aizen are assholes, Lilynette does what she wants, Mad Science, Pregnancy, Puppies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 02:19:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3364103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria6/pseuds/Aria6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Author's Note: I'm a sick person and I'm going to hell.</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: I'm a sick person and I'm going to hell.

Starrk was quietly sleeping in his wing when it happened.

'It' was an overly enthusiastic Lilynette. She landed on his chest and he grunted, cracking his eyes open as he felt her poking his forehead and face. That was so annoying but at least it was better than a hand down his throat.

"What is it?" He grumbled, wanting to get back to his sleeping. He'd been having an excellent dream about things he couldn't ever remember seeing, sunlight and butterflies and flowers. He dearly wanted to go back to it. Lilynette grinned down at him.

"I want to see your cock! Drop your pants!" She demanded and for a moment, Starrk didn't parse the content of the sentence. Then his eyes shot wide open and he sat up, sending her tumbling back. "HEY!"

"What?!" He asked the girl who was now sitting on his cushion, her butt between his legs and her legs draped over his. To someone walking in, it would have looked vaguely obscene. However, it was just the natural consequence of the way she'd been sitting and Starrk hardly noticed. "Why in hell would you want that?!" She'd never shown any curiosity about his body before. Lilynette blinked at him innocently.

"Yammy was talking with Nnoitra and Grimmjow and boasting about how big his cock is! Nnoitra said he might be thick but he was longer and Grimmjow both said they were idiots and left!" Starrk agreed with Grimmjow and wished Lilynette hadn't been listening. "I said you had to be big because you're the Primera and they both LAUGHED at me! So I want to know how big your cock is!"

"Lilynette…" That was a contest he did not want to be part of. But how to dissuade her? "This is an adult thing. I don't think – HEY!" She had just grabbed his hakama. Starrk scowled at her, shoving away her hands. "This is inappropriate." He said firmly and she pouted.

"No it's not! We're the same hollow! Now take it OFF!" She demanded and Starrk groaned, putting a hand over his eyes. Then he yelped as her fist impacted with his hollow hole. "Now I just want to see! I've never seen a cock before, show me!"

"…Oh, fine." Lilynette could be insanely determined and if he didn't do something, she would likely drive him bonkers. Reaching for his hakama, he undid it and pulled it down. He looked away, feeling his cheeks heat as he sensed his other half examining him thoughtfully.

"…It's not that big." Lilynette sounded disappointed and Starrk's mouth dropped open as he glanced down at himself involuntarily. "I thought it'd be bigger."

"What?!" He was a good size. Like most men, he'd measured himself one day and he was almost seven inches. That was large for a man, wasn't it? Wait… how would Lilynette know how big he should be if she'd never seen a penis before until now? "What are you basing that on?" He questioned, eyes narrowing.

"Yammy. He said he's a foot long and like, this big around." She held her hands up in a circle and Starrk choked a little. "Nnoitra said he might not be as thick but he's even longer. That was when Grimm called them idiots." The Sexta was smarter than he'd thought. Starrk rubbed his forehead for a moment before responding.

"Alright. First of all, Yammy and Nnoitra are damned liars. You didn't ask them to drop their pants to verify that, did you?" He asked and Lilynette shook her head. "Second, for many men a penis gets bigger when they are aroused. And I am NOT showing you." That would be going MUCH too far. Besides… "I don't get much bigger anyway. And that's because of where a cock is designed to go." He said firmly and she stared at him. "A penis is meant to go in a woman's vagina. You know what that is, right?" Surely she did. She had one, right between her legs. But maybe she didn't know the word for it… Lilynette shook her head.

"No. What's that?" She asked and Starrk hesitated, trying to think of how to explain.

"You… um… have you noticed there's an opening between your legs that serves no obvious purpose?" He asked cautiously and Lilynette wrinkled her nose at him.

"Yeah, there's one back here?" She tapped her bottom and Starrk winced. Of course, arrancar didn't make waste and unlike him, Lilynette had no memories of being human.

"No, that's the wrong one. The other one." He said and she pulled open her little briefs, looking at herself dubiously. Then she ducked her fingers inside, exploring herself as Starrk looked away. Was this what raising a girl was like? Surely they figured this out on their own…

"Oh yeah! Yeah, I found it! So… a penis goes in there?" She asked, fascinated. Starrk nodded. "Why?"

"Why? Uh… to have fun and reproduce." Lilynette looked at his penis again with a frown, then back into her pants. "Sex is an enjoyable act." Surely she knew that.

"Yeah, I know but… that… is supposed to go in here?" She asked and there was a note of apprehension in her voice. Starrk nodded, wondering what she was thinking. "I take it back. It's too big! That's scary!" She exclaimed and he choked. "How could Yammy be THAT big? He'd kill people!"

"Um…" Was it possible to kill someone that way? Starrk doubted it. "It's a very expandable area. But even so, there should be a limit on the size of a penis. And you're smaller than most women, since you're younger." He offered. Although… Lilynette put it into words.

"Yeah, I've seen some of the numeros Starrk. There was this one girl who was shorter than me!" She retorted and Starrk grimaced. "What would happen if Yammy tried to stick his cock in her vagina? Would she explode?"

"Lilynette!" What an appalling image. "Remember that Yammy is a damned liar. He's probably lying about his size. Men lie about that all the time." He tried to reassure her but she greeted it with skepticism.

"But what if he IS that big Starrk? Maybe that's why all the numeros are scart of him!" She said and Starrk blinked. That… was an interesting theory. "I'd be scared too! Man, you look big, I can't imagine that!"

"Well, you don't have to worry about it. He would never touch you." He reassured her before pulling his hakama back up. "Now, can I go back to sleep?" He really wanted to get back to that. Lilynette nodded, hopping off him. "And no asking Yammy or Nnoitra to show you their cocks." He said firmly. He knew she might, Lilynette had no limits.

"I wasn't going to!" She protested and he greeted that with skepticism. "Really!"

"Mmm hmm." Closing his eyes, he settled back on his cushions. He vaguely heard her leaving the room as he dropped off to dreamland. This time, though, his dreams were disturbing… images of a naked Yammy with a far too large penis, chasing him around. Starrk had difficulty rousing himself but thankfully, he woke up just as the dream Yammy caught him. Shaking his head, he pushed himself up off his cushion. Maybe sleeping right now was a bad idea. Slouching out of his wing, he decided to go find Lilynette.

Hopefully, he would soon forget about her theories and his dreams would go back to normal.


	2. Chapter 2

"Starrk! Starrk, wake up!" A heavy weight landed on his chest and little fists started to pummel him. Starrk woke up with a yelp.

"I'm awake I'm awake I'm awake!" He said quickly, trying to stop the abuse. Lilynette grinned down at him. "What now?"

"How many women have you had sex with? Have you had sex with any guys?" She demanded. His eyes had been in danger of sliding shut again but now they flared wide.

"Wait, WHAT?" Why in hell was she asking him this? "Why do you want to know that?" Lilynette had not shown any interest in his amorous adventures until now. And the truth was, he was not very active in that area. Not something he really wanted to share with Lilynette.

"Because I asked Grimmjow to show me his cock!" Starrk slapped a hand over his eyes. Damn her! He'd told her not to ask Nnoitra and Yammy but not Grimmjow. "He didn't want to but I bugged him until he did!" Exactly like she'd done to him. What a surprise. "He was smaller than you! Not a lot but some! I said so and he said it didn't matter 'cause you never use it!" …Ouch. True but harsh. "So I want to know! Do you ever have sex? Grimm says you don't!"

"Uh…" Starrk sighed, removing his hand from his face. "Not much. You know I have trouble talking to people." Lilynette usually dragged him along and forced him to interact. But of course, she was a child. Expecting her to help him find a mate was expecting too much.

"I'll help you then!" She said cheerfully and he stared at her, horror mounting as he realized she was serious. "Who are you into? Halibel? Apacci? Mila Rose? She has great tits – "

"LILYNETTE!" Starrk sat up and shoved her off. She landed between his legs with a squawk. "What in – you are not going to help me get laid!" How mortifying. Lilynette glared up at him.

"Well it's not going to happen unless I help you, now is it?" She said which was likely true but didn't really help. "COME ON Starrk! You need to get out and have some sex! Give your wienie a workout! Brush off the feather duster!"

"Wh-What?!" Where was she GETTING this? "Who the hell taught you all that?" He asked, appalled. Lilynette brushed away his question.

"Don't matter! Hey, do you like Gin? He's sort of creepy but I think he might like guys! I know Tosen really doesn't." She confided and Starrk groaned, tilting his head back and staring at the ceiling in mute horror. Had he done something to deserve this? Why had his vasto lorde parent-self been so incompetent? He was reasonably sure he/she had been trying to give him/herself a mate. How had he ended up with a child self and one that contained all their energy? Why – "STARRK!" Her fist hit his head and he flinched.

"I don't need to have sex!" He protested but Lilynette just wasn't listening. She grabbed his arm, dragging him up. "Lilynette!"

"Come on! You like girls, I know you do…" Starrk whined as he was dragged out of his wing. Was this really happening? It most definitely was.

Lilynette was taking him to Halibel's wing. Starrk sincerely hoped she wasn't there. Although the fraccion would tell her about this anyway and surely one of them would be there. He was doomed. His dignity would never, ever be the same. Not that he had a lot to begin with…

"HEY!" Lilynette yelled as she dragged him into the room. Halibel wasn't there – thank kami – but all the fraccion were. Mila Rose and Apacci turned towards them while Cyan didn't bother to look up from her book. "Does anyone here like Starrk? He needs to have sex!"

"I do NOT!" Starrk protested as Sung-Sun looked up from her book, startled. The other two just stared at them, completely taken aback.

"Yes you do! You don't know anything." Lilynette cruised onwards as he hid his face with one hand. "You admitted you never do it! You need me to get you to do anything! So I will! Does anyone want to have sex with him? His cock is a tiny bit bigger than Grimmjow's but not as big as Yammy's, unless he's a damned liar. I'm still not sure about that…"

"You two could sell tickets to this comedy routine." Mila Rose said as Apacci was struggling between anger and laughter. Sung-Sun just lifted her eyebrows, closing her book. Mila crossed her arms under her breasts. "But what benefit would we get out of this?"

"Um…" That stumped Lilynette for a moment. "Do you like guys? Starrk's cute! I'm sure he's okay at sex. Right?" Starrk stared at her in horror as she continued. "Although Grimm says he never does it and Starrk admitted it. Hey, are you a virgin? Are you?"

"What? No!" Although almost. "No, I…" Starrk trailed off, glancing away as he felt his blood going to his cheeks. This was embarrassing! Lilynette pounced on that.

"No I what? What? Who'd you lose your virginity with?" Lilynette demanded and Starrk whined, hunching his shoulders. "OI! Come on, it can't be that bad! It wasn't Yammy was it?"

"What? No, of course not!" That was worse. Although… maybe not by too much. "…Barragan…" He admitted and everyone in the room stared at him. "He seduced me and you weren't there!"

"…Ew?" Apacci said and he put a hand over his face. So mortifying. "Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

"You know, I think we are." Sung-Sun said and Starrk lowered his hand, blinking at them. Then Starrk's eyes widened as Mila Rose grinned, advancing on him. "Lilynette, go away please."

"Yeah sure! Have fun!" His other half went out the door and Starrk was tempted to go after her. What was going to happen? Although he was very curious. Then they were onto him and the time for thinking was past.

* * *

Starrk panted softly as a hand caressed his hardening shaft. Mila Rose smiled down at him, her expression amused and predatory.

He wasn't entirely sure how it had happened, but right now he was tied down with silk ropes. A spike of seki stone had been driven into the floor above his head and there were more by his feet. Silk ropes held his ankles in place. If that had been all, he could have broken free. But there was also a thick collar around his throat. Starrk had no idea where the fraccion had gotten it, but seki stone was readily available in Hueco Mundo. All that was needed was the time and effort to purify it. Maybe they had borrowed the thing from Szayel?

However they'd found it, he had been distracted and they'd gotten it around his neck. Now he was effectively helpless, completely at their mercy. And they had very little… Starrk arched with a whine as his body was stimulated, bringing him back to full stiffness. How…?

"That's a third time. Not bad…" Mila murmured before sliding down and taking him between her thighs. Starrk gasped raggedly and tried to thrust up but she gripped his hips, controlling him with a wicked smile before she began to ride him. He heard a moan and glanced to the other corner in the room.

Sung-Sun and Apacci were together, their legs entwined in a scissor position as they ground against each other. Starrk vaguely knew that the Chinese referred to it as 'polishing mirrors', which sounded rather poetic. It was certainly beautiful to watch, their faces flushed and full of passion. Then Starrk yelped as he was pinched.

"Lovely, I know, but look at me." Starrk turned his attention to the woman on top of him, seeing the sweat beading on her dark skin, the way her breasts bounced. There was a delicate flush to her cheeks and the feel of her body squeezing his cock… it was bliss. Maybe Lilynette was right. Maybe he really had needed this although he would never admit it. Kami, it felt so wonderful…

He was far too exhausted to come to a peak quickly, and that suited Mila Rose just fine. Starrk vaguely heard Apacci crying out, followed a few moments later by Cyan's lilting cry of pleasure. None of that mattered, though, compared to the woman riding him. He felt her insides clench, undulating around him in an unmistakeable way and his own pleasure came to a point, leaving him breathless as he arched up into that clutching warmth.

When he came down from his high, though, Starrk was beyond exhausted. Three times? That was three times more than he'd done in his life, all in one night! A warm hand ran through his sweaty hair and he opened tired grey eyes to see Mila Rose smirking at him.

"You know, we always thought you were far too boring to bother with. Now I see why… you put it all into Lilynette, didn't you?" A finger ran down his chest and Starrk trembled at the feeling. "Is that why you have so much stamina? Because you're not as involved? Or is it just natural? Whatever it is, we like it."

"Uh… huh…" They had already complemented his stamina. Barragan had also mentioned that, that he held out for quite a while. He closed his eyes again, but then opened them wide as he felt a new reiatsu in the room.

"What is going on here?" Halibel's voice was cold as she looked over her fraccion and Starrk swallowed hard. Everyone knew she was possessive of her fraccion and not particularly fond of males. Mila Rose quickly left his body as she walked up to him. He met cold green eyes and found his voice.

"It was all Lilynette's fault!" He said and her eyes narrowed. "I'm serious! She – she made Grimmjow drop his pants!" A bit of puzzlement. "She said I was a bit bigger than him and he told her it didn't matter because I never have sex and she decided I had to 'brush off the feather duster'…" Was Halibel's expression lightening? It was so hard to tell with all the bone on her face. "I swear, this wasn't my idea!"

"It's true, Lilynette dragged him in here." Apacci said helpfully and the other two shushed her. Halibel chuckled softly.

"I see. Well." She glanced him over and Starrk shivered a little at the intensity of her gaze. "Still, you need a punishment. And I've always been curious…" Curious? About what? Starrk would have asked but she was gripping his head and positioning himself. He knew much better than to refuse so he began exploring her sex with his tongue.

As he worked on pleasing her, though, Starrk became vaguely aware that there was something odd about it. When he explored her channel he felt something hard? Not often, just once in a while, but his tongue brushed something. Putting aside that strangeness, he sucked on her clit. As he did, he vaguely heard Halibel's voice.

"Mila. Can you get him ready for me?" What? Again? He wasn't even sure he could – but then his cock was being teased and Starrk groaned, deep in his throat. That felt… good…

It was hard for him to believe but when Halibel pulled away from his face, he was hard again. How had that happened? He didn't have a clue. As Halibel sank down on his body, though, Starrk couldn't help but whine. He was so tired but his body was responding again and he shuddered as he moved his hips, meeting her motion.

It all felt tremendously good. Halibel was hot and tight, gripping him in all the right ways. There was a ghosting feeling, something odd? But it didn't matter. All that mattered was the intensity of the moment, the slow, leisurely pace of the sex. He gazed up at her with lust hazed eyes. Her body couldn't bounce like Mila's but she was still beautiful. For a hollow, the bone was alluring…

His exhaustion ensured he could not go too quickly, which was just as well. Halibel seemed to be deeply enjoying herself, her green eyes gradually filling with more and more intensity. Sweat broke out on pale skin and Starrk gasped as her movements became faster, her hips rolling and taking him more firmly. He responded, matching her pace as his orgasm began to approach. He couldn't hold out much longer…

Fortunately, he didn't need to. He felt it as Halibel came, her voice rising in a wild, animal sound. Starrk spent himself a moment later, grunting as he half-closed his eyes. That felt incredible but the sheer exhaustion that followed… he only wanted to sleep. But then Halibel was gripping his chin and Starrk forced himself to look at her, his eyes half-closed.

"Ah, Starrk. I'm rather surprised. That was very good. And at least I know the answer to my question." She sounded pleased and Starrk blinked. Question? "Whether or not I can safely have sex with a man." She said before slowly pulling free of his body. Starrk felt puzzled.

"Why would that be a problem?" He couldn't think of a reason. She chuckled softly, resting her hands on his chest as she explained.

"I have shark teeth in my vagina." For a moment, he couldn't parse the content of the sentence. Then his eyes opened wide as he understood. "Fortunately, it seems they only react to painful stimuli. I was never sure about that." Starrk felt his breathing coming faster and knew he was beginning to panic. What had he just been tricked into doing?! "Oh, calm down. You're strong enough to survive an accident and I'm sure Szayel could reattach – "

"REATTACH?!" Starrk almost shrieked, unsure of whether he should panic, puke or pass out. Finally he went with option three. The world went dark and swirly and he vaguely heard feminine laughter as his mind retreated into dreamland.

* * *

"Oi, Starrk!" A heavy weight landed on his chest and he grunted. Why couldn't Lilynette let him sleep? "Did you have a good time? How was the fraccion? Halibel carried you back, did you do her too?" That made his eyes slam open in horror. Lilynette blinked at the look on his face. "Oi?"

"…I'm going to KILL YOU!" Starrk growled and for perhaps the first time ever, Lilynette had to run from her bigger half. Starrk didn't even notice he was still naked as he chased her around the wing and finally gave her a massive wedgie. If anyone had been there to see it, it would have looked extremely wrong, but he didn't care.

Lilynette was going to pay for this!


	3. Chapter 3

Szayel was peacefully working in his lab, examining the contents of a test tube, when it happened.

"SZAYEL!" He winced at that high pitched shriek. "Oh hey! Hey, I need your help with something!" He quickly set the beaker into a stand. It was not beyond possibility that the owner of that voice would attempt to tackle him and he didn't want to lose any part of his experiments.

"Ah, Lilynette-chan!" Szayel smiled at the small arrancar, brushing back a bit of his hair. Because of his duties and the checkups he'd run on all the other arrancar, he was very well aware of Starrk's physical and mental condition. So he understood, better than anyone, that Lilynette was in fact half of his soul and the conduit of his power. The peculiar 'split personality' condition made Starrk extremely passive while Lilynette was energetic, and he could potentially use that to his advantage. "What can I do for you?" He asked, fluttering his eyelashes in his most attractive manner. The charm was mostly wasted on his target, but there was nothing wrong with keeping his hand in.

"Can you make me grown up?" Lilynette asked, her single pink eye wide and pleading. Szayel blinked at the thought. "Starrk's really mad at me! I want to do something nice for him!"

"Ah… perhaps. Why is Starrk angry with you?" That was interesting. From what he'd seen, the Primera rarely came into contention with himself. It would likely be extremely counterproductive if he did. Lilynette was more than willing to explain.

"It all started with Yammy and Nnoitra…" Szayel found the story rather amusing although he knew her theories about Yammy's genitalia were in fact close to accurate. He'd seen all the Espada naked for their checkups. Nnoitra, however, was just a liar. Grimmjow's part in things was interesting. He knew the Sexta had a rather good brain but he was often disinclined to use it. His intelligence seemed to be shining a bit brighter than usual in this sequence of events. "So then I took him to Halibel's fraccion! I didn't know she had shark teeth in her hoo-haa!"

"Wait, what?" That was news to him. "She has what, precisely?" He questioned and Lilynette confirmed it.

"Shark teeth! In her vagina! She only told Starrk AFTER she had sex with him." Szayel stared at her blankly for a moment. How had he missed that in the physicals? Well, well. Someone was going to get pulled in for a checkup very, very soon. "She didn't even know if she'd bite off Starrk's penis!"

"…Oh my. And people say I'm strange." He muttered, adjusting his glasses. He thought that Halibel had just given him some stiff competition in that area. "I can see why Starrk would be perturbed. I would be too. But you want me to make you adult?" The logic leap didn't make much sense. Lilynette was more than willing to explain.

"Yeah! So I can have sex with him and make him feel better!" Szayel wasn't sure Starrk would be enthusiastic about this plan. Although Lilynette was his energetic side. Had all this activity ignited his carnal instincts? Perhaps, and Lilynette was merely acting on them. "We're both pretty sure our vasto lorde parent self was trying to make a mate!"

"Hm. Intriguing." Quite possibly true, too. How much control would one have when splitting oneself? A difficult procedure at best and things could easily have gone wrong. "Well, I'll have to investigate this. I have a few ideas about how it could be done but I would need to experiment on some numeros." Thankfully, Lilynette didn't care about that. Starrk would have but he was the more empathetic side of the Primera. "Why don't you come visit me again in a week and we'll see what I've come up with?" He suggested and she beamed at him.

"Yeah, sure! That sounds great!" She bounced out of the room and Szayel hummed to himself as he began laying out plans for his new experiments.

This was going to be fun!

* * *

A week later.

"SZAYEL!" Ah, perfect. Szayel looked up with a smile as Lilynette ran in. "Do you have anything? Do you do you?"

"Indeed I do!" He said cheerfully, adjusting his glasses as Lilynette looked at him trustingly. Ah, she was lucky she was part of the Primera, really she was. "I've run many experiments on changing the nature of arrancar. You probably don't want the details –" Not because she was squeamish but because it would bore her. Lilynette loved blood and gore, unlike Starrk.

"Did anyone explode?" She asked curiously and he paused for a moment.

"No, but there was one rather messy incident… really, you probably don't want to know." That had been a failure and he didn't want Lilynette to reconsider this. "But I'm ready! Please, right over here." That stopped any further questioning and Lilynette's eyes lit up as she gamboled after him. Such a trusting child… but then, given that she was essentially half of the most powerful arrancar to exist, what reason did she have to fear? "Before we begin, though. Given that I'm doing you a favor can I ask for one in return?" He asked sweetly and Lilynette nodded.

"Sure, that's fair! What d'you want?" She asked and Szayel smiled. He had a feeling she would enjoy this.

"Well, it's rather a long term project. Part of it will depend on how your new body works. It might not be feasible." He still had to determine that. "Why don't I tell you later, when I know it can be done?" He didn't want to excite her for no reason. Really, it might not be possible at all. Lilynette gave him a knowing look.

"I think I know what you're thinking. I was thinking it too!" She chirped and he couldn't help but smile. She probably DID know what was going through his mind. Lilynette was extremely bright, not quite as intelligent as Starrk but close. "Okay, I go in here?" She pointed to the tube and he nodded.

"Yes indeed." She went inside without a qualm and he began working with the equipment. It wasn't that flashy. Just some careful adjustments of her reiatsu… Szayel hummed to himself as he worked. Ah, he was enjoying himself… this had been an amusing project. And his future project would certainly advance the cause of science!

"There we are!" Szayel finished and the tube opened, allowing Lilynette to easily exit. "Ah, is that uncomfortable?" Her pants were a bit… tight. Extremely tight. Fortunately the fabric had some give to it. Lilynette, however, did not care in the least.

"OH WOW! Look at these!" She cupped her brand new breasts, beaming as she did. Szayel coughed slightly and looked away. He did find the female body attractive but touching Lilynette… that would be a good way to die painfully, in his opinion. "This is AWESOME! And they'll stay like this 'till you change them back?"

"Yes, this change to your reiatsu should be self-sustaining." He assured her before reaching for a bundle of fabric. "I have a new… uniform…?" But she wasn't listening.

"I have to show Starrk! Oh wow! This is great!" Then she ran out and he blinked, looking down at the shirt he was holding. That little vest of hers left absolutely nothing to the imagination. For a moment he considered running after her but then he shrugged.

"All of Los Noches will thank me." Setting aside the fabric, he considered what to do next. Perhaps prepare for the next stage of the experiment? "Lumina!" There were some things he could do with the samples… this would be quite a lot of fun!

Poor Starrk wouldn't know what had hit him.

* * *

"Hey, let me go you dunderduff!" Nnoitra sneered down at the dumb numero. She glared up at him, unafraid. "Really, you better let go right now!"

"Why should I do that, bitch?" He asked as he glanced over her tits. A bit on the small side but nice. And she had a good bottom in those little britches. Then he scowled as Grimmjow came up behind her, smirking. Did he think he was going to horn in on the action? "Fuck off cat, I saw her first." The Sexta gave him a weird look before he glanced over the numero.

"Do you work at being this dumb or did someone drop you on your head as a baby?" He asked and Nnoitra snarled, yanking the numero closer. She squeaked in surprise. Although why she would be surprised when she was running around with her tits hanging out like that was beyond him. "Shit! You're just a walking invitation to get your face beat in, you know that?"

"What the fuck are you babbling about?" He asked irritably, considering his options. If he let the girl go to give Grimmjow the beating he deserved, she'd be gone by the time he was done. And he wanted to fuck more than he wanted to fight. The Sextra huffed a laugh before he kept talking.

"Look at the bitch! Doesn't she look like someone?" He asked and Nnoitra glared at him before looked at the numero. What was he expected to see here? "Green hair, helmet with horn, one eye… oh, and if that's not enough, maybe you should take a load of the _seriously pissed_ Primera right behind you!"

"Uh…" Oh shit. Glancing over his shoulder he saw, to his horror, that Starrk WAS there. And he looked like smoke might be about to come out his ears. "Fuck." He'd never, ever seen Starrk lose his temper before.

"Cero." Nnoitra let go of the girl and was vaguely aware of Grimmjow grabbing her before that blast of energy sent him through a wall. Snarling, Nnoitra pulled himself up. He wasn't going to be intimidated, even by Starrk.

"Bring it, wolf!" Blade clashed against blade and he hardly noticed Grimmjow vanishing with the girl. At least this would be a good fight!

Might be his last, but it would be good.

* * *

"Starrk owes me for this." Grimmjow grunted as he dropped the new and improved Lilynette onto a cushion in Starrk's wing. She just glared up at him, annoyed at the manhandling. "What the fuck happened to you? Although I can guess." This had Szayel written all over it.

"I got Szayel to give me tits so I can fuck Starrk!" She said, too enthusiastic to let what had just happened keep her down. Grimmjow rubbed an eyebrow, wondering what Starrk would think of this. "Do they look good to you?" She cupped them and he blinked.

"Uh, yeah, they look fine." He actually thought they looked a little on the small side, but he doubted Starrk would complain. That is, if he didn't freak out completely. "Hey, is this technically masturbation?" He idly asked and she scowled at him.

"Oh screw you! And Szayel wants to see if I can get knocked up!" She chirped and he stared. What. The. Fuck? "If I'm pregnant is Starrk pregnant? That's SO COOL!"

"Uh…" Yeah. Not so cool. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Starrk was going to FREAK. Poor bastard. "…Wait, what'll he knock you up with?" They knew hollows could breed, that was no news. Lilynette looked thoughtful.

"Probably a shinigami." She said after a moment and Grimmjow was willing to bet she was right. "Who would he use though? I mean, I know Tosen wouldn't go for it. Maybe Gin wouldn't mind? Would Aizen mind?"

"Huh. Wonder if they took some samples with them from Soul Society." Grimmjow muttered. Although… "Who knows if you can get knocked up anyway." Nothing about this was normal. Lilynette nodded, a bit of sadness crossing her face. Of course she'd thought of that. "Well, I'll just hang out until Starrk gets back." It'd be good to keep the brat out of trouble. "Hey, you got any clothes that fit?"

"OH! Oh right! Let me see…" She ran off and Grimmjow sighed, leaning against a wall.

Fortunately, he didn't have long to wait. Starrk came back, looking a bit scorched around the edges and super pissed. There was also one hell of a cut across his chest. Had Nnoitra been going for his hole? Probably.

"Hey. Is he dead?" Grimmjow asked and Starrk scowled before shaking his head.

"No. Although when I left, Yammy was tossing him through a couple buildings. Apparently we disturbed his beauty sleep and he thought it was Nnoitra's fault." He said and Grimmjow snorted. He could totally see that, not even Yammy would think Starrk was starting shit. "I expect Gin or Tosen will be showing up any minute so I decided to escape while I could."

"Good thinking. The chick is – ah." Lilynette had just come out and to Grimmjow's eyes, her new uniform wasn't a huge improvement. Had she stolen it off that Loly girl? And the skirt was even shorter! It hid her nipples but that was about all he could say for it.

"Lilynette, what happened to you?!" Starrk's eyes travelled up and down his other half. "And what are you wearing!?" He sounded appalled. Grimmjow watched, mostly out of morbid curiosity. Lilynette giggled and turned around, bending over to flash her panties. They were pink with a heart on the bottom?

"I took this from the stores, I thought it might fit! And it does even if it's a little tight. How does this look?" And she waggled her bottom. That was… kind of interesting, actually. The look on Starrk's face was horrified but fascinated as his gaze settled on her ass.

"I'm going to leave you guys to it." Grimmjow said before beating a quick escape. Sure, this was interesting but in a way that might go South in a hurry. Humming to himself, he shoved his hands in his pockets and began going back to his own wing.

This place got weirder every day.

* * *

Starrk hardly noticed Grimmjow leaving. He was busy trying to tear his gaze away from the pink panties with the red heart. Where on earth had she even gotten those things? And why was she looking over her shoulder and grinning at him like that?

"So do you want to do me?" She asked cheerfully and Starrk's eyes widened as his mind shut down for a moment. What was she…?!

"No, of course not!" She scowled at him but Starrk didn't care. Was she out of her mind? "Who did this to you?" Of course, it had to be – she immediately confirmed it.

"Szayel! But don't you go getting mad at him, I asked him to! And I'm the Primera too, I got rights!" She said sharply and Starrk groaned, slapping a hand over his face. "Now we're gonna have sex! Come on Starrk, you know you want to!"

"I do NOT." He said sharply but then yelped as Lilynette tackled him. "Lilynette!" He tried to shove her off but his hand caught in the cutouts of her infernal dress. His eyes went wide as the fabric ripped like it was nothing. "What the-?!"

"Easy for disrobing!" Lilynette chirped and grabbed his hand, pressing it against her suddenly bared breasts. He was about to yank away when something strange registered. Something he'd never felt before. Was that…? "Yeah!" Her hands were on his hakama then and his will to resist was fading. The gown came off and his clothing followed as he pushed her down onto the pillow. Perhaps…?

Starrk's eyes went wide as he realized he could _feel_ his hands on her body, cupping her breasts and stroking her nipples. The connection between them, was it deepening? Had this truly been what their vasto lorde parent/self had intended? From the shocked look on Lilynette's face, she could feel it too.

"H-Hey I wanna see if…" Her hot little hand found his growing hardness and Starrk groaned softly as he was stroked. Lilynette didn't really know what she was doing but that hardly mattered, when she could feel what pleased him the most. "Oh yeah!" Her gasp was music to his ears and he lowered his face to suck on her breasts. They were so small and adorably perky… He could easily suck on those beautiful nipples, dusky compared to the soft, pale skin around them. And the echo, the sensation of his own mouth on those pert little nubs… it was incredible. "OH!"

Starrk could feel her arousal mimicking his and soon he could bear it no longer. Positioning himself, he slid past those fleshy lips, seating himself between her thighs. There was no pain, only a delicious sensation as her legs clasped him tight. Looking into her face he could see the shock and amazement in her light pink eye, the sweat already dewing her pale skin.

"Lilynette." He breathed, wondering why he'd struggled against this. This was _right,_ this was the way things should have been. He kissed her deeply then, feeling it on both sides. Her sweet tongue tangled with his and it was so _good._ "Kami, oh kami…" He gasped as they moved together. It was perfectly synchronized, her hips meeting him and he _felt_ how his cock filled her, the way his pubic patch pressed so wonderfully against her clit…

"Starrk! Oh my god, it feels so good!" Lilynette moaned, grasping his hair and dragging his face back down to her breasts. He took the hint and began to explore them again even as he pounded into her, pressing her against the cushions. "It's… so tight…. Around you…!" She felt it just like he did. Starrk wasn't surprised at all. Not that he was really capable of thinking at the moment…

Starrk lifted his head, moving to Lilynette's throat as he felt his penis hit her cervix. The mildly painful bounce made them both gasp and she shuddered, whimpering as he kissed her throat, tasting her on his tongue. It was wonderful, delicious and he wanted more of her, more around his cock, more under his hands, more… he could feel a matching need in her mind as her hands explored his hard muscles, sliding down his back. Her nails scored his back and that bit of pain made him gasp. It was like a little bit of spice on a delicious chocolate cake… he whined as he took her even harder and faster, feeling the pillow giving a little beneath them. They were quite sturdy but this was pushing the limits and he could see the point of a bed… gasping, he kissed her again, feeling that glorious push and pull, the way their bodies melded together.

They came to a peak together, Starrk feeling the urgency building in his loins and the way Lilynette was tightening around him… when they both came it was like fire in his mind, the pleasure amplified in a way that almost made him scream. The heavy sound of his voice, the sharp cry of Lilynette's delight, was echoed by their reiatsu. It exploded out from them without restraint, a tidal wave of blue fire. Starrk's eyes were wide as he experienced the moment, only vaguely aware of the firestorm of power. All that mattered was his body and Lilynette's, the way they came together.

They slowly came down from the high, trembling together as they weathered the aftershocks. Starrk rested his forehead against Lilynette's, closing his eyes as he felt the warm bone against his skin. He could feel her heavy breathing against his skin, smell the delicate musk of her. Sighing softly, he kissed her gently before slowly pulling away. The sensation of leaving her body… it was almost as good as going in had been. Glancing down, he noticed that the pillow had broken a little. There were feathers on the floor… sighing to himself in annoyance, he pushed himself to his feet and scooped up his other half. She was heavier now, but she fit even better against his body. A finger poked him in the chest and he looked down in surprise, seeing a smile on her face.

"Mmm. We're gonna do this again, right?" Lilynette asked as Starrk carried her out, looking for a good nest of pillows. He had plenty, for when he wanted to move around a bit. A small smile crossed his face as he gently pressed a kiss on her cheek.

"I think you can count on that." For once, he was grateful to Lilynette and even Szayel.

For something that had started so wrong, this felt incredibly right.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I believe this concept of Soul Society is actually more cannon than the way I usually do it…

"You're sure this will work?"

"Absolutely!" Szayel assured the girl… young woman, rather, in his lab. Lilynette's appearance had definitely improved. Instead of the rather horrible dress she'd found initially, she'd settled on a very cute fit and flare. The skirt was checkered with black and white on one side, a rather nice look. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and Szayel definitely appreciated the view. There was a necklace between her breasts, a little horseshoe set with green stones on a silver chain. Lilynette tilted her head at him, looking quite skeptical. "I've already inseminated the ovum. They just need to be implanted." It had been three months since his initial experiment. Long enough to determine Lilynette was ovulating and to harvest a few. He hoped this worked… he really didn't have time to try again.

"Okay, I totally believe that. That's not what I'm talking about. What about Aizen?" Lilynette said and his respect for her wits went up. That was the whole problem. "He's not gonna be happy if we're all knocked up when the final battle comes around."

"Hmm, yes." And while the timeline for the final battle was uncertain, Szayel doubted it would extend nine months. "However! How much do you know about shinigami culture?" He asked brightly and Lilynette shrugged.

"Nothing? What d'you know?" She asked and he was happy to explain. Really, Lilynette was turning into his favorite experimental subject. She was so wonderfully willing to try almost anything! It was rare that he got such willing cooperation.

"Shinigami society is based on a procreative caste." He said and she lifted her eyebrow. "What originally defined the noble families from the rest of society was simply their ability to breed. Even now, having a child is grounds to induct a soul into the nobility. The lowest ranks, of course! But still nobility. Only the spiritually powerful can have children and it's really quite rare."

"Okay. That's interesting. But don't tell me you think that'd stop Aizen from fucking us up." She said and Szayel paused before favoring her with a small smile.

"You are entirely correct. Aizen does not possess any moral code I have been able to detect." And he had some fine instruments. "However! The opponents Starrk will face WILL possess that moral code. The thought of harming a pregnant female will be almost anathema to them. It WILL affect their combat ability." He said confidently but Lilynette was still skeptical.

"Okay, but how is this gonna affect our release? I mean, if we can't release at ALL, then what?" She asked and he nodded. He had considered that.

"I've done some research on the nature of your resurrection. I think you likely will be able to use it while pregnant. Most likely, Starrk's gender will flip to match yours." That made Lilynette snrk. Well, it was a rather amusing thought. What would Starrk look like as a woman? "If not, he might simply take on some of your female attributes, enough to hold the child inside himself as long as you maintain resurrection."

"So basically you're saying that when we resurrect, it'll get really finkin' obvious that the Primera's knocked up. And that'll put the shinigami way off their game." She summed up and he nodded. "And you think that'll keep Aizen from ripping the pup out of us?" He winced, a bit unsettled by the thought. Hollows valued children highly and he had to admit that the thought of deliberately ruining one made him a bit queasy.

"I do hope so. That and the potential loss of goodwill…" He trailed off as Lilynette looked at him like an idiot. "Well, yes, I know, his zanpakuto would take care of that." Aizen could easily wipe away any memory of the incident from their collective minds. Lilynette thought about it for a moment before shrugging.

"Well, if he does we won't even know so nothing lost, nothing gained, right? Let's take a chance." She said and Szayel was glad she was looking at it that way. "Who are you knocking us up with though?"

"Ah… I actually don't know." He admitted and she blinked at him. "These samples came from Soul Society and Aizen-sama acquired them some time ago. I've been using the weaker ones for biological experiments but I kept a few of the stronger for just such a purpose." He'd been trying to think of a way to blackmail Halibel into taking one but this was much better. Starrk was stronger and even if Lilynette's body carried the fetus, it would partake of his strength. Also, Lilynette was about a thousand times easier to work with than the prickly Tercero. "All I am certain of is that these reiatsu samples are taichou class. I've already inseminated four ovum, two from each."

"So the pups might have different sires? Okay, I'm alright with that." Lilynette said, but there was a touch of sadness in her eyes. Szayel could guess why. Coyotes normally formed family groups, with both parents caring for the young. Of course, few hollow females could expect that. "When d'you want to implant me?"

"Now, if you're willing." He'd timed this conversation for the appropriate part of her cycle. Everything was ready, if she consented. Lilynette nodded and pulled up her skirt, pulling down her panties as Szayel went to his equipment, fetching the ovum. This would not be too hard…

Lilynette really was quite patient with him, just staring at the ceiling as he inserted the proper tubes. He was sure it stung – inserting something through the cervix was hardly the usual procedure – but she made no complaints. Soon he had all four eggs inside her. Would any of them implant? He couldn't be sure. They shouldn't have any competition, though. One thing he'd established in his work was that Lilynette would be sterile with Starrk. Their identical reiatsu signatures ensured it.

"There we are! We won't know if there has been any success for several days." He said as he withdrew the equipment with a flourish. Lilynette sat up, rubbing her belly with a small frown.

"Okay, a few days to know if anything happened. How long before we know if the pups'll stick?" She asked and Szayel hesitated.

"I… would give that four months." He admitted. "Spontaneous miscarriage is a real possibility." How well would the DNA and reiatsu merge? This was a cross species pregnancy. His preliminary experiments had indicated it should work well but he wasn't going to delude himself. Szayel deeply feared an increased chance of birth defects and that might lead to miscarriage. Also… "One of the samples had a very peculiar genetic code, one that you and Starrk actually share." He offered and she blinked. "I have high hopes for those two ovum." He thought they might have a higher chance of success than the others.

"Huh. I wonder…" Lilynette said and Szayel gave her a pointed stare. However, she didn't go on, just looking at him innocently. "So are we done?"

"Hm, yes. Please come by for a checkup in, hmm, three days." That should give enough time for the implantation to show signs. She quickly pulled her clothing back on, looking thoughtful. He dearly wished he knew what was going through her mind. What was she hiding from him? What did she know about this mysterious genetic code?

It was, well, a mystery.

* * *

Many months later.

"Before this meeting begins, I just want to say." Starrk rested his cheek in his hand as everyone looked at him. Even Aizen was a touch surprised. Normally, he never spoke at the meetings. "I have learned that I have no control whatsoever over my life. I am a little puppet, being pulled by Lilynette's strings." He lifted his hand, miming a puppet master playing with his doll. "Dance little puppet, dance…" Then he gave up and put his forehead on the table. There was a sigh from further down the table.

"How needlessly dramatic." Szayel said, adjusting his glasses. Then Grimmjow spoke, sounding amused.

"You really knocked up the bitch?" He said and Starrk lifted his head, his eyes narrowing. Grimmjow had known about this plot? "So is he knocked up too? Man, what'll happen when they resurrect? This shit is bananas!"

"What?" Halibel said as there was a hum of conversation around the table. Starrk groaned and let his head drop again. Why did life torture him so? Aizen quieted the conversation with a brush of his reiatsu.

"Octava, please explain this." His voice was a bit chilly and Starrk didn't much like that. Unwilling participant or not, the thought of Aizen destroying his offspring horrified him. Strangely, Lilynette was completely calm about it. But she was still the more vicious, inhuman part of them both. Szayel adjusted his glasses before putting the best face on it he could.

"I made use of the reiatsu samples you gave me. The results are quite fascinating! One of them had a highly unusual genetic code that Coyote Starrk actually shares." Starrk lifted his head. It was the first he'd heard of this. "The two ovum I implanted with that sample are currently flourishing in Lilynette Gingerbuck's womb. They are already showing a great deal of potential! They will be excellent warriors for your cause." He said sincerely but Aizen just regarded him evenly.

"Szayel, our current timeline does not have that much give in it." He said and Szayel winced slightly. "How will this affect their ability to fight?"

"There might be some degradation of combat abilities." He admitted before quickly continuing. "But Lilynette's pregnancy is already becoming visible. By the time the battle commences it will be quite obvious. Surely the prohibition against harming pregnant females will hold some weight?" He said in an appealing tone and Starrk stared at Aizen imploringly. His overlord looked at him and Starrk could sense him weighing the matter in his mind. Then he nodded, slowly.

"You do have a point. Any shinigami will find it extremely uncomfortable. But I expect you to fight to your fullest ability, Starrk. If I catch any hint that you are flagging I will end your life myself." He said, his voice cold, and Starrk swallowed hard before nodding.

"I will do my best for you, Aizen-sama." He said sincerely. He owed Aizen so much, for leading them out of the darkness and into the light. It didn't mean he was blind to Aizen's nature – the man was a monster, as surely as Lilynette could be – but it didn't make his dedication any less. Aizen seemed pleased by his response and the meeting went on to other things. Although Starrk could sense that several of the Espada were quite curious. Halibel, in particular, had her eyes on him. He avoided looking at her, hoping to hell she wasn't getting ideas.

He wasn't eager to get his dick nipped off.

* * *

Lilynette held her maternity gown in place as Starrk stumbled through the garganta.

His control over his power was becoming erratic, in addition to a general weakening. The clumsiness of his garganta was a sign of it. Straightening, he grimaced as he rubbed his head. He felt hot, prickly, slow and a touch awkward. It was all Lilynette's feelings, of course, but her pregnancy had deepened the connection between them even further. Szayel said it was necessary since they were both essentially pregnant but it was still uncomfortable…

The fire that entrapped Aizen was almost a welcome thing to Starrk. At least it meant Aizen wouldn't see his efforts. Not that he was going to give anything less than his best! But… his best wasn't really his best, at the moment.

The drain on his reiatsu and feeling echo from Lilynette were only part of the problem. The much larger issue was the fact that the pregnancy was affecting them both emotionally. Lilynette was even more aggressive than normal, although fortunately her ungangly body usually limited it to shouting and a bit of hitting. Starrk was her favorite target, which was hard on them both because for HIM, the pregnancy was making him particularly prone to depression, whining and general doom and gloom. It was not a match made in heaven and sometimes he wondered if they were going to survive the next few months.

Of course, to worry about that he would have to survive the next few hours. After a brief conversation about his rank, he engaged the man in pink. Strangely enough, the white haired taichou was sitting it out and chatting with Lilynette. What were they discussing? Did he even want to know?

Elsewhere, Lilynette was almost having fun.

"You really shouldn't be here, you know." The white haired man was looking at her distended tummy with wide eyes. Lilynette huffed at him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know! But I can't let Starrk go without me. He gets into trouble." She said, conveniently ignoring that she was the cause of most of the chaos in their joint lives. The white haired man smiled then and it looked kind of nice. Not that she was going to let him snow her. These shinigami couldn't be trusted! Pretty much like all the shinigami they knew, really.

"Is he your husband?" He asked and Lilynette paused.

"My what?" She honestly didn't know what he meant. "Oh… you mean my mate? Kind of. If you're asking if these are his pups, yeah, they are." Since Starrk and Lilynette had identical genetic and reiatsu signatures, that was precisely correct, to quote Szayel.

"You seem very young…" He said and she huffed at him again.

"OI! Arrancar don't age! And I'm adult!" Although she did look on the young side, a teenager at most. "And Starrk doesn't look much older!" Starrk did look older than her but not by much, anymore. That scraggly beard of his made him look a bit like a teenager trying to look older, too. She saw the white haired guy looking at Starrk for a moment.

"…I think he looks considerably older. But I suppose you're right, it hardly matters." He seemed sad to her. Because they had to kill Starrk? Probably. Lilynette grinned evilly. How was he going to feel when he saw the truth? Now THAT was going to be funny! "Aren't you worried for him?" He'd caught her grin. She snorted.

"Nah, Starrk's strong! You're the one that should be worried!" She boasted although, truthfully, she wasn't as confident as she was making out. Starrk was just such a whiney mess lately. "Aren't you going to go help him?" Not that she really wanted him to but it WOULD be the normal thing to do. He smiled at her.

"Oh, no, he will be fine!" He assured her and she gave him a fishy stare. How weak did this guy think they were?

"Whatever. Starrk is strong!" She told him and he just smiled at her. "You'll regret it when he's dead!" She threatened but he just seemed to think she was cute or something.

"Thank you! You're so adorable." He said and she pictured punching him in the face. That would be incredibly satisfying. Unfortunately, with her pup swollen belly that was a bad idea. They were having twins, too. A boy and a girl. Running a hand over her belly she looked up at Starrk. Was he looking down at her? Dumbass!

"OI STARRK! Pay attention to what you're doing!" She shouted at him and he – "NO GIVING ME THE FINGER YOU ASSHOLE!" Why was he being such a bastard lately? Oh, right, knocked up, weird hormones sloshing through them both. Still, he could stop being a dick!

Meanwhile, overhead…

"Is that your wife, Espada-san?" Shunsui asked with a smile as their blades crossed. Starrk did not smile back. But then, he hadn't smiled in weeks.

"My puppet master." He said sourly and the shinigami's smile widened before he snorted. "What?" What about that had been funny? Starrk glowered at the man as he explained, their blades still clashing.

"That sounds like a marriage to me!" He said cheerfully and Starrk wanted to grab that ponytail and pull his hair out. Instead, he manfully tried to slice the asshole apart. It didn't work out much better.

"Oh shut up. I suffer endless mockery…" Really, the last time Aizen had taken him to task for 'having a tantrum' had just been too much. He desperately wanted to kill someone and this stranger would do. Starrk attacked fiercely, not holding much back. Well, aside from the fact that he wasn't in release. Taichou-san's smile dimmed a bit as he registered how willing the Espada was to fight.

"Do you really want to leave your child without his father, Espada-san?" The man asked and Starrk held back some kind of sarcastic comment. Then he abruptly snorted, leaping back and sheathing his sword.

"This is stupid and I hate you. LILYNETTE!" He shouted to her and she left off whatever idiocy she'd been up to, to join him. The pink wearing taichou looked very taken aback and the white haired one shouted up at them.

"A pregnant woman should not be on a battlefield!" He called and Lilynette laughed mockingly as Starrk gazed up into the sky, asking the almighty for patience. The pink wearing taichou-san spoke then, puzzled.

"Why have you called her up here?" He asked and Starrk sighed before explaining.

"We are not like the other Espada and it's not because we are husband and wife, taichou-san." He said sourly as Lilynette giggled. "All other arrancar were created by the hogyoku but we were not. Once, we were a single hollow. We split our masks ourselves, to become what we are today." His eyes widened as he began to understand. "I am not the father of these children. I am the mother. Allow me to show you…" He rested his hand on Lilynette's helmet and reclaimed her power in a burst of blue fire.

Of course, that had some very ill effects. Starrk stood and immediately holstered one of his guns so he could press a hand against his lower chest. Why did he suffer this feeling in resurrection while Lilynette did not? Although…

"Did you remember the charcoal biscuits?" Those made his heartburn a bit more bearable. Lilynette immediately protested.

"Why would I remember those? I don't get sick, you do!" Starrk gazed at his weapon despondently. "OI! Check your pockets!" Frowning, he began patting himself down, looking for biscuits. The search came up empty. "You're hopeless!"

"Shut up. I'll be fine." He might have to puke somewhere in the middle of things but he would be fine. If that qualified as fine. Looking up he saw the taichou in pink staring at him with something close to horror.

"Er… Espada-san… you seem to be…" He said, clearly struggling with a polite way to put it.

"Pregnant and pissed off about it." He supplied, his tone less than impressed. "Shall we take this to the next level, taichou-san?" His swords were black and curved now, he noticed. Some kind of first release? What was it called again? Shikai, that was it. The man gave him a mildly puzzled look, using one of his swords to tilt back his hat.

"You've put me in quite a predicament. You realize that?" He said and Starrk grimaced as he rested the barrel of one weapon against his forehead.

"I realize." That was all he would have said. But of course, Lilynette had to run her mouth.

"YEAH! That's the only reason Aizen let us stay knocked up! He woulda pulled the pups right outta us if it weren't for that!" Starrk didn't miss the quick flash of horror on his opponent's face. Glancing down, he saw the white haired man looked utterly appalled. "Wouldn't bother me too much but Starrk's a big baby about it."

"Shut up!" He snapped at her. "This is all your fault!" She gave him a raspberry and he growled, smacking his weapon against his forehead. Lilynette's yelp of pain was quite satisfactory. "It doesn't matter how you feel about it, taichou-san. Aizen-sama has made it clear that if I slack off due to my condition I will be decapitated." He said firmly and saw the man swallow. The other one looked a touch sick. "And I want my pups to be born." Then he fired on the man, who dodged.

They went around like that for a while, him sniping and the taichou trying to evade his guard and get close enough to get in a proper hit. Although to Starrk's senses, he wasn't trying too hard. Because he was pregnant? Probably. His huge belly was quite apparent in his Espada uniform. Fortunately, it did not much impede his reaction times.

Then Starrk revealed that his stronger gun did not need to go back into the holster to be recharged. To his disappointment, the taichou survived the surprise. Not that he really wanted to kill him but… his pups had to be defended. And the only sure way to keep them safe was to win.

"Well, well, that was a surprise!" The man said lightly and Starrk grunted. The man started going on about how he'd been tricked. However, Starrk wasn't really listening. He was feeling… yes.

"One moment." He interrupted before bending over, a hand over his distended abdomen. A few quick hrks and he vomited, splattering the ground beneath him. Then he straightened, rubbing his mouth with the back of his hand for a moment. The shinigami was staring at him, taken aback. "What? I'm pregnant. What do you expect?"

"I, uh… how far along are you, Espada-san?" Pink taichou-san asked. Again, Starrk really wasn't going to answer but Lilynette just had to talk.

"Almost seven months! Two more and we'll pop! Szayel thinks we'll have to give birth in resurrection so Starrk'll get to experience it ALL!" She said with unholy enthusiasm and he glared at the gun in his hand. "Hey, weren't you saying something about our cero?"

"Um? Oh. Yes. Those guns fire ceros?" He asked, which seemed quite obvious. Starrk gave the man an unimpressed look.

"Yes." Obviously. Taichou-san clearly could sense how he felt but just smiled sunnily.

"Am I right in thinking they can fire something else?" He asked and Starrk blinked before giving him a dirty look.

"No." Which was an out and out lie, but not for the reason the man probably thought. Then Lilynette interrupted.

"OI! You're a shitty liar! Just tell him the truth, it's not like it'll do him any good anyway!" She chirped and he groaned. "I can shoot flowers! And flags! And little sparklies! Want to see?!" Starrk lifted his left hand, staring at the gun in his fist before gesturing, his palm down as he mimed pressing on something.

"Just grind my dignity to a small powder and scatter it to the winds!" He couldn't hide the fury in his voice and frankly, he wasn't trying. Why was Lilynette always there to kick him when he was down?

"Oh come on! Like you have any dignity." Lilynette replied flippantly and to Starrk, that was just the utter limit. He ground his teeth together, his shoulders hunching as he shook with the force of his emotion. Pink taichou-san was definitely noticing the look on his face.

"Um, Espada-san? Please calm down." He sounded cautious and a touch worried. That might have helped but then Lilynette ruined it.

"Yeah, no having a temper tantrum! Remember what Aizen said – "

"SHUT UP!" Starrk screamed as his whole body glowed with blue reiatsu. "YOU CAN ALL DIE! CERO METRALETTA!" Maybe it made no sense to turn his ire on the man facing him but he needed to kill _something_ and the man in pink was an enemy. He would do. Then hundreds of cero were screaming through the air and the man was _running._ That felt good!

Then the one with the white hair bounced his power back at him and that only changed the target of Starrk's rage. Deciding that he didn't care _how_ the shinigami had done it, Starrk did the obvious thing and switched from distance to melee. His blue swords clashed with the other man's blades and Starrk caught a glimpse of wide brown eyes. Wolves flew at the man in pink, keeping him busy as Starrk attacked like a dervish. Rage and instinct rose within him and he –

_CRUNCH!_ The scream, the taste of blood and the scent of pain, all shocked him back to reality. Starrk leapt away, dancing back as he called his wolves off. The white haired man stared at him, pressing a hand against his upper arm… the spot Starrk had just taken a chunk out of.

"I, oh, I'm sorry." He said, honestly shocked and horrified by his action. A wolf beside him groaned.

"Holy shit! First you lose your marbles and attack them, which is okay because we're supposed to be doing that. Then you bite him like a rabid animal and then you _apologize?_ Are you psychotic?" She complained and he immediately flared at her.

"YES! Yes I am! You lose all your hormones and give them to me when we release, _remember?_ " He snapped at her. Szayel had investigated their release thoroughly and had determined that because of her position as Starrk's guns and wolves, Lilynette was unaffected by the pregnancy in release. Of course, that meant Starrk was both depressed and furious when they were joined together. The wolf paused, licking itself before speaking.

"Oh yeah, you're totally fucking crazy. Well, that's no excuse!" The wolf stretched before baring her teeth. "Stop apologizing and kill them Starrk!"

"I'll apologize if I want! Stop telling me what to do!" The whole thing degenerated from there as the two taichou watched.

"Are you alright, Ukitake?" Shunsui asked seriously and his best friend nodded, lifting his hand to glance at the wound.

"It's ugly but superficial." Starrk had gotten a chunk of flesh but he could still fight with it. "…I don't remember my mother acting like this when she was carrying my sisters." He said after a moment and Shunsui chuckled, watching. Starrk had grabbed his wolf and was pulling on her ears as she tried to bite him.

"It may because he – she? – is a hollow." Shunsui said after a moment. "I had no idea they could breed." That was still amazing him. The first sight of the girl hollow, with her very pregnant belly, had shocked him. Realizing that the man he was fighting was essentially the same hollow and they were both extremely pregnant… it was strange beyond belief. "Hollows are naturally aggressive. The urge to defend their offspring would probably magnify that." That was his best guess, anyway.

"This fighting with himself doesn't make much sense, though." Juushiro ventured and Shunsui shrugged. The fight had degenerated into shouting. Then the wolf yelled something that caught their attention.

"STARRK! LOOK! The ugly thing is here!" They both turned to see the garganta and the creature that had come through. "Aizen's gonna break free and he'll be PISSED if you haven't done anything! COME ON!"

"OH FINE!" Then they were being attacked again. The arrancar was clearly feeling nasty, but his purpose was primarily as a distraction. Something they realized when the new arrancar attacked with impressive speed and power, punching a hand through Juushiro's chest.

"JUU!" Shunsui was just moving to help his friend when the Espada appeared beside him. Vaguely, he knew he was dead. The arrancar was going to –

But it wasn't the edge of the reishi blade, but the flat, that hit him. And instead of slashing across his throat, he was slammed in the back of his head. Shunsui's eyes crossed at the power of the blow and he pretended to faint, deliberately letting himself fall as he heard the two of them bickering again.

"Why didn't you kill him?"

"I don't know. He seems… familiar…" What did that mean? Shunsui played dead until he heard the arrancar engaging new opponents (was that Rose and Love? He'd thought they were dead!). Then he went to help Juushiro. His best friend wasn't looking good at all and his lips tightened as he helped him to the aid station. Then he paused to watch the battle.

It didn't take long before he realized that Rose and Love didn't understand that the arrancar was pregnant. But how could they? They hadn't seen the girl. The Espada was still behaving in a completely erratic fashion and hardly seemed to notice when the skeleton hollow fell. He did scream something about not being stupid and falling for their traps, though. Shunsui's eyes narrowed as he prepared himself. There would be a chance…

Starrk wasn't expecting the attack from the shadows. His eyes went wide as a blade went across his chest, another fitting snugly under his chin. The two false-hollows (what were they?) he was facing hadn't been expecting it either, from the looks on their faces.

"No!" He was jerked back, blood raising from his chest as a golden whip hissed nastily through the air. "Love, Rose! Get back!" The man behind him snapped and he blinked.

"Kyoraku? Why aren't you killing the bastard?" The one with the starfish hair asked and Starrk barred his fangs before feeling a sudden surge of dread. He began to cast around with his one eye. Aizen was above him and not appearing to be paying attention. But Gin… where was Gin?

"He is actually more of a she and very pregnant." The taichou answered as Starrk whined, starting to shake. He was in big trouble. Huge trouble. His hands tightened on his swords but he couldn't move – "Espada-san, please calm down." The man in pink said soothingly. "I am not going to harm you."

"I'm not worried about you." Starrk rasped, his terror building. If he couldn't keep fighting then he was expendable. "I – " Then he heard the words he'd been dreading.

"Shoot to kill, Shinso." Shunsui tried to dodge, he really did, but it happened too fast. Instead of hitting his abdomen dead centre, the blade took him to the left. Starrk felt the agonizing pain, tasted the blood in his mouth as he looked down at the sword that had impaled him. He heard a gasp of pain from behind and felt the blades leaving his body, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was his loss…

"Starrk!" His weapons lapsed back into their gun form, which was more natural than the reishi weapons he'd been fighting with. "Starrk, no, don't give up!" Lilynette could feel the utter despair, the empty bleakness that was filling his mind. The taichou in pink was holding him, easing him to the ground as the other two went after Gin… "We can have more if you live! Don't give up Starrk, please!"

"Doesn't… work that way… Lilynette…" He choked out, seeing the shinigami bending over him. His expression was so grim… "I… can't…" If his pups were dead it would rip his heart in two. And surely they were gone now. Tears filled his eyes and slowly slid out, down the sides of his face. Everything above him was going grey and blurry.

He fell into unconsciousness earnestly wishing he would never wake again.


	5. Chapter 5

_Starrk!_

Hn? What was that?

_Starrk! Come on, wake up!_

…No. He didn't want to wake up. There was pain waiting for him…

_COME ON STARRK! Stop being lazy!_

Lazy? Didn't she understand that his heart had been ripped apart? But how could she understand? Lilynette had no heart…

_Espada-san, please wake up. We're all waiting here for you._

I… don't want to. I should have killed you. Why didn't I? Why are you so strangely familiar…?

_Your daughter is waiting for you._

My… what…?

* * *

Starrk blinked his eyes, feeling worse than he'd ever felt in his life.

It was a combination of things… there was a deep, burning pain in his belly. His whole body felt wrong, off kilter. Like he'd lost something too soon… he was lacking an eye so he was still in resurrection, but his power felt distant and weak. Still there, but vastly weakened. Blinking, he tried to look around.

"OI STARRK!" He flinched and then groaned as the motion aggravated his wounds. "About time! You've been sleeping for days, you lazy bastard!"

"…Why did I have to wake up?" He whispered, feeling the agonizing pain in his heart and soul. His children. The twins, he'd so wanted to see them, hold their little bodies in his arms. The door to his room opened and he looked up dully as taichou-san stepped in. What was his name again? He honestly could not remember. The shinigami smiled at him, although there was a deep sadness in his face.

"You have a daughter, Espada-san." He said and Starrk blinked, his breath catching in his throat. A daughter? "I'm afraid your son is dead. He took the brunt of Gin's blade, but Retsu managed to deliver your little girl."

"I… but… it's so early…" He protested feebly, not quite able to believe. A daughter? A child had lived? Taichou-san's smile warmed, then.

"It was touch and go when she was delivered, but she's doing well now. We've been bringing her to you regularly. Your reiatsu seems to help her." He said and Starrk shuddered, feeling a sob building in the back of his throat. Then Lilynette spoke, interrupting his powerful emotion.

"Yeah! So move your ass! You need to see her!" She said sharply and Starrk nodded, speechless. He tried to pull himself up, gritting his teeth at the pain. The man gently helped him up, getting him into – what?

"This is a wheelchair. You're in no condition to be walking." He said and Starrk blinked. Shouldn't he be healing faster than that? On the other hand, they must have cut him open completely. And his power felt very weak. "You're wearing a reiatsu limiter. I'm sorry but since you were unable to resume your sealed form…"

"Oh." That made sense, a bit anyway. "Do you want me to seal…?" Although he wasn't sure he could, like this. The shinigami shook his head.

"It's fine. You can do that after you see her." He said and Starrk nodded as his guns were handed to him. Then taichou-san wheeled him out. Starrk could hardly believe that one of his children had actually survived. Was this a dream?

It was not. He was brought into a room where a little infant lay cuddled in a nest of blankets. His breath catching in his throat, he reached out to touch her. He could tell from her scent that she most definitely belonged to him. Her fur was warm chestnut, just like his own. Although…

"Oh. That's… strange." He murmured as he took in her little puppy wolf head. Also her tiny tail, flicking lightly as she dreamed. A tiny pink tongue was sticking just a little out of her muzzle, looking incredibly cute. Lilynette was tittering and he knew exactly why. "Oh, shut up." He muttered at her. Really, he should have expected something like this. He might not be subject to the curse himself, but his offspring would. "She's beautiful. Have you named her?"

"No, we thought you should have the chance to decide." Taichou-san said and Starrk nodded. Although what would he call her? Something that meant wolf would be obvious. Too obvious? "You're not curious about why she looks like that?" Starrk blinked, turning his attention to the shinigami ( _what was his name? He'd forgotten_ ).

"No, I know why." He said honestly and the other man looked taken aback. Lilynette tittered again and Starrk frowned at her. "Stop that." Really, it was very annoying –

Then his thoughts completely derailed as a new man stepped into the room. Grey eyes went wide as Starrk looked on a man who was… not exactly a man. Feeling lightheaded, he glanced from the stranger – a shinigami taichou from his uniform – to his tiny daughter. The resemblance was pronounced, despite his pup's darker fur.

"Oh kami." He breathed as Lilynette sniggered wickedly. "I… uh…" How incredibly, unbelievably awkward. "I'm so very sorry." He rested his face in his hand, feeling his skin heating up. How stupid could he have been? He was deeply ashamed of himself. Mortified. How had he not seen this coming? Taichou-san laughed and Starrk glanced up. He could see the canine taichou 'smiling', in his body language.

"There is nothing to be sorry about. I'm surprised, but delighted to have her." He said sincerely and Starrk cringed inside. The other man didn't understand… "I am Komamura Sajin. Have you seen her arm?" That made him blink. Her arm?

"Nah, she's sleeping on it! But don't wake her." Starrk looked at his guns in bewilderment and Lilynette explained. "She lost part of her arm, below her elbow. That healing taichou's great! She stopped the bleeding really fast. They're talking about regenerating it when she's older and if they can't, oh well. I mean, she can just strap a shield on it, right?"

"Uh… yes, I suppose." He looked at his tiny daughter again, his eyes softening. "She will be… Sylva. Komamura Sylva." He said softly and reached out to gently stroke that soft fir. "It is Latin. It means from the forest." That seemed more appropriate than something that meant wolf. "…Did you tell him?" He suddenly asked his guns and Lilynette sniggered.

"Nah! I wanted to see you trying to do it! This is going to be great!" She chirped and Starrk stared at her in disbelief.

"The one time your babbling could actually be helpful and you manage to keep your mouth shut? I hate you!" He exclaimed and winced as taichou-san made a shushing sound, pointing to the sleeping pup. "Sorry… um…" He looked at the man with the wolf head again. "…I'm so terribly sorry about that curse." He rubbed his forehead, feeling their puzzlement. "I… it's all my fault. If I hadn't been so stupid…"

"Oh, come on Starrk! Fair's fair, half the clan was in on that cock-up. And your crazy cousin shoulda been fed to the hollows with you! She would've, too, if she hadn't managed to run out!" Lilynette said with a laugh and Starrk grimaced. All of that was true but it didn't really make him feel better. The wolf taichou's eyes widened as he began to understand.

"Wait… you know how my clan was cursed?" He asked and Starrk nodded morosely. "It was so long ago, we have lost the knowledge… and you were a member of my clan?" Yes, he was definitely understanding. Starrk nodded with a sigh.

"Yes, although I used my father's name. He said I should, even if he couldn't marry my mother. Have you heard of the Kyoraku clan?" There was a choking sound from taichou-san and Starrk blinked at him. "What?"

"Wow. I know you were busy thinking about how you hated everything and needed to puke but really? You didn't listen to a single thing he said, did you?" Lilynette said and Starrk grimaced. No, he really hadn't been listening. "Hey, introduce yourself again since Starrk's a dumbass!"

"Kyoraku Shunsui, at your service." Taichou-san said cheerfully and Starrk blinked before looking at the man in surprise. Was that why…?

"Oh. That's why you seemed familiar." He'd sensed the blood connection. And also… "You look a bit like my father." He said after a moment. Could they actually be related through him? It was quite possible, his father had gotten married to a more appropriate spouse long after he was born. "Well, anyway, in those days the Komamura clan was a minor clan in service to the Kyoraku." He said and they both listened, interested. "My mother was a very beautiful woman and she caught the eye of my father. He was a handsome man and soon, he caught her eye just as much. They both knew there could never be a marriage but they decided they would enjoy what they had." He had been too far above her. They had both known that.

"I had a very happy childhood." Starrk said lightly, remembering it. "I was constantly running around with my cousins, especially my crazy one. She was always more than a little insane, hatching the oddest plans that got me in trouble. That never changed but as she grew older, she became better at convincing others that her schemes were good ideas. I was always putty in her hands but later, she could talk around those who should have been older and wiser."

"Although, it was circumstances that gave her the opening." Starrk said, remembering it. "I'm still not sure why, but somehow the clan fell out of favor with the Kyoraku. My mother was dead by that time and my father… he had a new bride and no more time and attention for me." Starrk shrugged. "I didn't really mind. He'd only been by to see me once a year anyway. But the Komamura clan was out of favor and when we started having serious issues with the hollows on our borders, the Kyoraku clan was not willing to help. They told us it was our problem to deal with as we could."

"That was when my crazy cousin hatched a crazy plan." Starrk said lightly. He wasn't bitter at all, now. "At the time, the Kyoraku clan was one of the great families, second only to the Royal line. I don't know if that's the case now?" Shunsui nodded and Starrk smiled. "I'm glad to hear you regained prominence. You lost it for a while after our, um, adventure… you see, the Kyoraku clan was renowned as the brewmasters of the gods." He said frankly and saw Kyoraku tilt his hat back, his eyes wide. Komamura blinked. "Your duty to the Soul King involved brewing the finest sake and beer in the three worlds."

"…That is definitely not part of the clan histories." Shunsui said, sounding quite bemused. Starrk wasn't too surprised.

"They probably took it out so they wouldn't have to include your ignoble failure to defend the Celestial hops." He said lightly and saw Shunsui give him a peculiar look. "I'm not making that up. It was a real thing, I swear."

"Yeah! They stole it! They could only do it because Starrk was a Kyoraku!" Of course, Lilynette could only keep her trap shut for so long. Starrk just let her tell the story a bit. "He got them through your wards and they got to the hops and the recipe!"

"Right… half the clan was behind us. The other half thought we were completely insane." Starrk remembered the arguments. "My crazy cousin thought that if we stole the Celestial hops and the manual of brewing recipes, we could, um, sell it to another clan and get out from under the Kyoraku clan's thumb. Even the half of the clan that thought we were crazy had to agree that we were being treated badly for no real reason, so the whole plan got off the ground… I'll spare you the details but we actually did it. We stole the hops and the recipes and even got out alive." Starrk smiled as he remembered the triumph. It had been a sweet moment. "I still have a bit of a time believing what happened next, but I swear it's true. My crazy cousin sold us out." At the time, he'd been completely disbelieving. He'd known she was insane but he'd always thought she was utterly loyal to the clan. "We were taken by the Kyoraku clan guards while she made an escape with the recipe and the hops. I have no idea what happened to her but the items were never found again."

"I bet you anything there's a really, really good beer maker out there somewhere with an extra special book and mix. Maybe you guys should start looking?" Lilynette said cheerfully and Starrk laughed softly. He wouldn't be the least bit surprised.

"Mmm, probably. Anyway, without the book and the hops we were incredibly screwed. As the one who was instrumental in breaching the Kyoraku's defenses, I was fed to a bunch of hungry hollows." That made them wince. "My father had a lot of things to say to me before that and they weren't nice. I told him that he'd been the one to tell me 'shit happens and then you die.' Well, shit had happened and now I was going to die. It wasn't really that bad…. The rest of the clan was spared the death penalty but the Soul King was a bit miffed at the loss of his favorite festival brew." There was a choking sound from Kyoraku and Komamura reached up to scratch behind one ear. "So the Kyoraku clan was given quite a tongue lashing and demoted from their high status while the Komamura clan was banished to the Beast Realms. And also, the Kyoraku took a huge financial hit when the beer market collapsed. Fortunately they still had the sake recipes to tide them over as they diversified a bit. The pit holding me and the other hollows got ruined once and I escaped, heading for Hueco Mundo." Starrk shrugged. "The end."

"HEY! What about me? You forgot about my story!" Lilynette protested and he gave her a raised eyebrow.

"Your story is boring." He said firmly and she yelped.

"IT IS NOT! I'll tell it since you're being a jerk! I was a princess, locked in a tower – "

"With long golden hair you let down for a prince? If you're going to lie, at least be creative." He said to his guns. They practically vibrated in his lap. "Just own up. Everything about you screams 'I am common scum.'"

"Shut up! You weren't much of a noble anyway! I hate you –" Her shrill voice was interrupted by the high, thin cry of a baby. Starrk immediately reached over, wincing as the movement pulled on his wounds. But Sajin was there first and gently lifted up their daughter before placing her in his arms. Starrk smiled into that tiny little face, the stubby little muzzle that was screwed up as she cried. Sensing what she needed, he shrugged open his hospital gown to bare his chest. That he was technically a man would not matter… his body would give the pup what she needed. The shinigami watched as cries were replaced by intent sucking sounds as Sylva found a nipple. "Hey, when we go back out of release will I be doing that?"

"Mmm, probably. And it will look a great deal more normal." Starrk gently caressed his pup's ears. They had gone forward as her need for sustenance was satisfied. He smiled as he gently scratched, feeling her stubby little puppy tail beating against his arm.

"So… let me see if I have this right." Taichou-san said, his voice carefully controlled. Starrk blinked at him, surprised at the tone. "My clan lost their status as a high clan, you were killed and Komamura's family was exiled to the Beast Lands… over a beer recipe?" Then Kyoraku lost his control and began to laugh. Sajin also began to chuckle as Starrk blushed.

"Hey, it was a very long time ago! They took their beer seriously back then!" He protested, which only made it worse. "Hmph." It didn't seem ridiculous to him. It had been the Celestial hops! …Although that did sound rather absurd…

"Oh, kami! I should go back to my clan just to tell them this. I can't imagine the look on my grandfather's face." Komamura said with another canine smile. "Ah, so you are my kinsman! Very distantly, I hope." He said, glancing at Sylva. Starrk nodded.

"It must have been a very long time ago. And given that I had no siblings, I doubt we're too directly related. Or us, for that matter." He said to taichou-san, who nodded with a small smile. "You know, I'm a bit surprised you're still cursed. I would have thought the Soul King would have gotten over it by now. In fact, it's probably not the same Soul King. It was a very long time ago." How long? He wasn't sure, but quite a while.

"We left the Beast Lands. We could not bear to live there… perhaps that is why the punishment was not lifted." Sajin said sadly and Starrk blinked as another explanation occurred to him.

"Oh… do the two of you know much about the nature of the Soul King?" He asked. Shunsui really should, as a member of a very high clan, but perhaps he didn't. They both just looked at him, puzzled. "Back in those days he was very close to us. I saw him in person, once." Sajin's eyes widened a bit at that as Kyoraku blinked. "My father told me the Soul King is not omnipotent or omnipresent. I wouldn't be surprised if he keeps an eye on the Beast Realms just to remember who has been cursed… you might have fallen completely off his radar when you left." That seemed very plausible. "Maybe you should petition him for clemency." Surely Sajin's service as a taichou would hold some weight. The two of them exchanged a glance.

"…I've never heard of that being done. We'll have to look into it." Shunsui said after a moment and Sajin nodded. He seemed a bit shocked but interested in the idea. "You know, you're turning out to be more interesting than I thought, Espada-san. And I thought you were quite intriguing."

"Mmm, thank you?" Was that a compliment or not? Eh, who cares? "What do you intend to do with me?" He asked apprehensively. He was still a hollow and little Sylva… her reiatsu clearly stated that she was a hybrid. More shinigami than hollow, perhaps, but there was definitely some hollow there. He looked down, trying to see if there were any bones. He could find nothing. "With us?" Him, Sylva, Lilynette… taichou-san smiled reassuringly at him.

"We had already decided we would try to rehabilitate you, and the other arrancar in our custody." Shunsui assured him and Starrk looked at him dubiously. Rehabilitate? "You seem to need a bit of, um, self-control." Starrk winced as Lilynette laughed.

"Nah, he only gets like that when he's preggers! OH HEY! Can we have more Starrk? Can we can we?" She begged as he stared at his weapons in horror. "Hey Kyoraku, would you like to do me? I'm awfully pretty when I'm a girl! I bet Starrk would like it if you put your cock in his –"

"Lilynette!" He snatched the gun up and slapped it against his forehead, making her yelp. "Stop pimping me out! And we are NOT having more children!" He said firmly as little Sylva let go of his nipple, making a soft snuffling sound. His weapon pouted.

"Aww, come on Starrk! You think she's the prettiest thing EVER!" While that was true, it was not going to sway his decision.

"I don't care. I was practically suicidal! And when I wasn't suicidal, I was homicidal! I tried to kill Yammy for breathing too hard!" Admittedly, it had been highly annoying and he'd strongly suspected the Cero was emphasizing it just to irritate him further. Lilynette blew a raspberry.

"Shit, that would've been a favor to the world! I don't care what Aizen said. OH! Yammy's dead, those taichou in Hueco Mundo killed him!" She chirped and Starrk had to admit, if only to himself, that he wasn't the least bit unhappy. Still…

"Don't try to distract me. You are NOT getting knocked up again. Get it right out of your head." He said firmly but Lilynette was equally firm.

"I want more kids! And I'm our motivation and energy! You can never stand up to me, I'm going to get my way!" She threatened and if he hadn't been holding a child, Starrk would have pulled his hair out. As it was, he just responded strongly.

"No! No no NO! I'm going to spread it around that anyone who touches you will die a fiery death!" He threatened but Lilynette was not impressed.

"I'll burst your eardrums out! See if I don't! And you know, getting knocked up naturally could take _centuries_ but I bet there's a shinigami version of Szayel around! And I bet I could find him and he'd be glad to get my knocked up again!"

"KAMI NO! How could you trust someone like that?! You're crazier than my cousin!" As the two of them bickered under the fascinated eyes of the two taichou, the little baby on Starrk's chest gradually fell asleep. Occasionally, as she slept, a little tongue darted out and tasted his skin.

He tasted right and she was warm and full. She would sleep for now.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: In this version of events, Szayel was able to nullify the poison Nemu's body imparted to him. Mayuri was intrigued and decided to keep him alive.

"It's so… big." Starrk felt almost horrified as he gazed over the Seireitei.

He'd never seen anything like the glittering city in his life. For one thing, it was so very _clean._ The towns and cities he was used to had been, well, filthy. The better neighborhoods had put some effort into cleaning the animal dung off the streets, but most didn't bother. Kick it to the curb and forget about it, then use kido to purify the water, if you were lucky.

It was also incredibly _large._ The largest 'city' he'd seen when he was alive had been a small fraction of the size. Nothing more than a large town, really. Had anything like this existed at all, in that long ago time? He rather thought it hadn't. Although the streets were not really that crowded. The people he saw were going about their business and did not pause to speak to each other or even acknowledge each other in any way. It seemed odd to him.

"You're a total hick, Starrk." Lilynette was beside him, carrying little Sylva in a sling. The baby was peeking past the fabric, giving an impression of great curiosity. "Isn't he a hick, pink-chan?"

"Hmm, perhaps. But please don't call me that." Shunsui sounded pained and Starrk gave him an amused glance.

"She's just trying to get your permission to use your first name." He said easily. He remembered, right after their vasto-lorde parent self had split, she'd done that to him. And she'd done it to plenty of people in Los Noches. She'd never gotten Tosen's permission to use his name, but he had started answering to scarf-chan. Shunsui looked surprised before smiling.

"Oh, please call me Shunsui then!" He said cheerfully and Lilynette laughed. "So you know cities, Lilynette-chan?" He asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, I lived in a city this big. It was WAY dirtier though. A lot more dead bodies in the street." She said callously and Starrk sighed a bit. He knew that was the absolute truth. Lilynette had been a bit heartless as a human. "I was a thief! I could steal anything! I died stealing a great big ruby – "

"A pie." Starrk interrupted before she could get going. "She died stealing a pie." He said firmly and Lilynette pouted before abandoning her story.

"Oh fine, it was a pie! A steak pie full of mushrooms and onions and succulent herbs – "

"It was a pork pie and if it was seasoned with anything, it was salt." Starrk said dryly and this time, Lilynette was outraged.

"OI! Stop ruining my stories! I wanted to make his mouth water, you jackass!" She berated him before hitting him in the shoulder. Starrk winced slightly, glad of little Sylva. The presence of the baby kept Lilynette from abusing him too badly. Then there was a laugh and they both looked at Kyoraku.

"Ah, sorry. But a pie? You both died over food items!" He said with a smile and Starrk snorted as Lilynette laughed. Then she explained.

"Well, I had a better excuse then Starrk. There was a famine going on, a pie was totally worth killing over. People were dropping dead in the streets from no food! Oh well, at least I didn't starve to death." She said cheerfully and Starrk smiled. Neither of them were bitter about their deaths. "I totally wanted to haunt that guy though, since he was a ginormous dick. That's why I hung around, heh. Seriously, he was a bigger dick than Yammy!"

"Oh, he couldn't have been." Starrk protested as Shunsui began moving them along. Where were they going, exactly? He forgot. "You said he was about this big around – " He made the gesture with his hands as Kyoraku looked at him, wide eyed. "No human man could compete with that. How would he even get his pants on?"

"Oh my god, you're going all literal again? I meant that his personality was dickish, not his cock! Geez Starrk – aww." Sylva had started to fuss a bit and Lilynette cuddled her, sniffing. "Not dirty. You want a tit? Oh sure you do!" The sling made a wonderful makeshift blanket, covering everything as they continued to walk down the street. Lilynette let Sylva nurse with all the aplomb of a many time mother. "So where are we going again?"

"Well, first I'm going to take you to see Ukitake. He's been let out of the Fourth and the best spot for Starrk-san is as his fukutaichou." Shunsui said and Starrk suddenly decided something.

"Please, just call me Starrk." The honorifics were annoying and unnecessary. "We're family, after all." Distantly, perhaps, but the connection was real. Shunsui choked a little and Starrk shot him a curious glance.

"Just… imagining bringing you both home to my family." He sounded a bit breathless and Starrk smiled at the thought.

"Mmm, they might disown you. Technically, they already disowned me." He'd been stricken from the clan list before he'd been fed to the hollows. Although his entry hadn't been formal anyway, just a bastardy declaration.

Starrk noticed, as they traveled through the Seireitei, that plus souls avoided them. Even the ones that were clearly nobles and possessed some reiatsu made a wide berth. But then, they were hollows. For that matter, Shunsui was a well-known and powerful man. As kindly as he seemed, the weak still might fear him. Starrk vaguely recalled that his father had been avoided, the one time the two of them had gone for to fly a kite in one of the village greens.

"I'm sorry about this." Shunsui murmured, breaking him out of his reverie. Starrk blinked, not understanding. But then he caught sight of the mother herding away her two small children, clearly avoiding them. Lilynette snorted.

"Aw, who cares? We're weird looking and she's got littles. When I was alive I'd've booked it too." Lilynette said and Starrk smiled. Once in a while, his other half could be unexpectedly mature.

"Yes, it's fine. We were feared in Los Noches as well. Our power…" He shrugged slightly. Although for now, at least, he was wearing a reiatsu limiter. It was a small thing, though, compared to the massive piece of seki stone they'd had on him in resurrection. And while it was currently locked, he'd been promised that he would be given a removable version after he'd settled in.

The Thirteenth Division, when they reached it, was quite lovely. Starrk examined it curiously. It had the barracks and halls he was coming to recognize as characteristic of the shinigami Divisions. The Fourth had beautiful gardens with stone paths, meant to let the patients get some air, sun and exercise.

This was similar but it diverged slightly. As Shunsui gave them a small tour they got to see the beautiful koi pond and the rather odd bonsai trees. Starrk was vague on what those should look like, but he'd seen the ones in the Fourth. These seemed a bit strange. Of course, they were all a bit barren. It was still winter, and there was a light dusting of snow over everything. Sylva shivered before sneezing as Lilynette gently comforted her. She was well swaddled in warm clothing, but the little baby was still quite young.

"Ah, Ukitake!" Shunsui waved and someone waved back from one of the windows. Then the door opened and the white haired shinigami smiled at them. He looked wan and pale and Starrk could see the bandages peeking from beneath his clothing. It was quite familiar… he was healing quickly, but he still had matching bandages on his belly. "I have your new recruits." He said cheerfully and Juushiro nodded.

"Please, come inside." He invited them and Starrk nodded back with a smile. He honestly rather liked this man, despite the circumstances of their meeting. "Oh my, how adorable!" Ukitake had just noticed Sylva. The little baby looked at him with big blue eyes. "I heard she was Komamura's. How cute!" He gently tickled her chin and she gripped him with her one hand. "Oh…" He'd just spotted her other arm. Her sleeve was neatly tied, concealing it a bit but the missing hand was quite obvious.

"Yeah, I know right? If Gin wasn't dead I'd kill him!" Lilynette managed to look quite fearsome and Ukitake smiled. "We should've had a boy too." She said and Starrk winced, feeling a deep pain in his heart. Sylva was a great salve on the loss, but it still stung a bit. He'd gotten to see his son and he would have looked just like his father. The burial ceremony was scheduled in a few days time.

"Lilynette." He said reprovingly, touching her back. She glanced up at him, a touch surprised.

"Oh, sorry Starrk." She apologized. He smiled at her, understanding. She'd just been thinking of revenge. Sorrow and pain were not part of her nature. "Anyway, you want to hold her?"

"Could I?" Juushiro sounded enchanted. Lilynette gave him the baby and he held her with the ease of long practice. Starrk vaguely sensed Shunsui leaving, likely going back to his Division. Most of his attention was on his child in the hands of a relative stranger. Not that he suspected any trouble but his instincts encouraged him to be vigilant. "Would you like some tea?" He asked as he handed her back to Lilynette. Starrk nodded.

"Please." That would actually be quite welcome after the cold outdoor air. Soon they were both settled in around a low table and the interrogation began. Although it was really a very gentle questioning and Starrk couldn't fault Ukitake for it. He needed to know his new recruits. It didn't take them long to tell him their sad history as the most powerful vasto lorde in Hueco Mundo. Juushiro looked slightly grim at that and Starrk thought he knew why… he was thinking of how the shinigami had failed to purify them. Or, in Starrk's case, fed him to hollows. Although… "Why did you follow Aizen? Surely you understood his nature." He directed that question at Starrk and he smiled, a touch sadly.

"We both did." He said, glancing at Lilynette. She was unperturbed by the question. "But are we not all monsters? And he led us out of our loneliness, used the hogyoku to lower our power. We owed him… everything." The gift of other people had been so precious.

"Until he tried to take it away! Fuck him Starrk!" Lilynette said sharply and he flinched at the reminder. He took a deep breath before nodding.

"Yes. He did." They had known he would but that didn't make the wound anymore forgivable. "We owe him nothing now." That was over and done with. Starrk would never forgive the death of his son. Juushiro nodded, sadness in his expression.

"I understand. Tell me Starrk. What do you expect to get out of the Thirteenth?" That question surprised the arrancar. He'd never heard anything like it before.

"Get? I… suppose… comrades?" He almost asked. But that was what he'd wanted and in some measure received from the Espada. Not all of them, of course. He'd despised Yammy and Nnoitra. Ulquiorra had only been acceptable when he was hard up. The ones he'd gotten on best with had been Grimmjow and Halibel, although the second had soured a bit after the whole 'possible neutering' incident. And for horrible, bizarre reasons he didn't want to contemplate, Lilynette loved Szayel. "…Peace." He surprised himself with the longing in his own voice. But even as he said the word, he knew it was right. More than anything, he wanted a peaceful place to wrap around his soul.

"Boooooring. I want to have fun and do things! I want to see the world!" Well that wasn't – "And I want to meet interesting people and EAT THEM! MWHAHAHAHAHA!" Her maniacal laugh was really very well done. But then, she had several good role models.

"Lilynette!" Starrk yelped in horror as she grinned at them both. "Stop that!" He knew she was joking but the shinigami might take her seriously. Juushiro was staring at her, a bit petrified. "She's joking." He assured the shinigami before thinking better of it. "But I think perhaps you should know… when our vasto lorde parent-self split, we essentially became a split personality." Given that Juushiro was going to be working with them intimately, he likely should know this. "Lilynette is our energy and motivation but she has very little compassion." Starrk said as Lilynette made a face.

"Stupid useless human crap." She muttered as Starrk continued.

"I am the lazier, quieter side of our personality, but also the gentler half." Ukitake blinked at him and Starrk smiled, briefly. "I think it might have been fate taking mercy on the universe, everything considered."

"Hehehe, yah! If I was the strong one, what would I do? Well, I would've killed pink-chan!" Lilynette said with cheerful heartlessness and Starrk sighed, glancing at the ceiling. "Then I would've eaten him! Bet he would've tasted like – "

"Lilynette, weren't you thinking of sleeping with him? Would you eat him after – actually, please don't answer that." He didn't want to know. She grinned before suddenly sniffing. "What are you – oh." He caught the distinct whiff a moment later and leaned away as Lilynette reached for the diaper bag. Sylva's face was screwed up with effort and Starrk had a feeling she wasn't done.

"I'll take care of it. You guys have fun, don't fuck on the table." Lilynette said cheerfully and Starrk slapped a hand over his eyes as Juushiro choked. Then she scampered out, leaving the two men speechless.

"Sorry about that." He said, dropping his hand. There was no point in being embarrassed, she was what she was. "She says whatever's on her mind." Lilynette had always been like that and if anything, it had gotten worse since Szayel had made her adult.

"So I see. Tell me, where are you staying?" Juushiro said, changing the subject. Starrk was more than willing to go along with it.

"We're staying with Sajin at the moment." Starrk said, smiling as he thought about it. "He loves Sylva very much." The wolf-headed taichou hadn't anticipated fatherhood but he was taking to it well. "We might be staying with him permanently." Although he wasn't interested in them in a personal sense. When Lilynette had tried, Sajin had told her that she wasn't really his type. When she'd offered Starrk, he'd laughed and said that female WAS his type. She'd taken the rejection well, but Lilynette did get shot down a fair amount. Starrk was fairly sure Sajin found her personality exhausting. If so, he sympathized quite a bit.

"That would be wonderful! No one could object to it and that would be wonderful for your little girl." Juushiro looked after Lilynette with a smile and Starrk nodded. The fact that it would put them neatly under a taichou's eye would appeal to everyone.

"What will my duties be?" He asked and Juushiro cheerfully began telling him about what a fukutaichou did. Some of it sounded a bit daunting – paperwork? – but he was assured that Ukitake's Third Seats would give him plenty of help. There was a sound of crying from the other room and Lilynette's soothing tones. Starrk pushed himself up. He was fairly sure…

"She's feeling fussy." He said apologetically and Juushiro nodded with a smile.

"It's fine Starrk-san. Please, bring her to the Division anytime you want!" Taking that as permission, Starrk went to help Lilynette with their daughter. There was nothing she needed that he could detect, so he just tried to comfort her.

Babies were like that sometimes. It would all be fine.

* * *

"OI! Let me out of here you fuckers!" Grimmjow writhed in his restraints as the two scientists ignored him. They were deep in the bowels of the Twelfth, surrounded by interesting equipment and odd samples. It was the kind of surroundings that would make most shinigami quiver in fear.

"Hmm, we should begin by cataloguing his baseline metabolic function. I would like to do an IQ test – " Mayuri started but Szayel interrupted cheerfully.

"Oh, that's unnecessary! His IQ is 123 using the Stanford-Binet scale. That's the superior range." Szayel supplied helpfully. He was wearing a new shinigami uniform, complete with the kanji for the Twelfth Division. He'd been given a seated officer spot, moving down everyone else. So far no one had dared complain. Mayuri looked at him in surprise.

"Really? A beast like that? I was sure it would be much lower." He said and Grimmjow snorted as Szayel sighed.

"He's intelligent enough to master so many skills… regrettably, he sees no point – " He started but then their 'specimen' interrupted.

"Like any of that shit matters when some asshole has a sword at your throat!" He snarled and Szayel paused to adjust his glasses before shrugging.

"And his logic is hard to fault. That's almost exactly how I died as a human, in fact." Szayel looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "The pen is not, alas, mightier than the sword. Except in a metaphysical sense."

"Which also doesn't mean shit when some asshole has a sword at your throat! Now let me out of here!" Grimmjow writhed and Szayel laughed as Mayuri smiled and began preparing the scalpels.

"Ah, Grimmjow, we have the knife at your neck now, hmm? I've always wanted to experiment on another Espada – hm?" He looked up in surprise as a very familiar person stepped into the room. "Oh, Starrk. What can I do for you?"

"A little bird told me you were being evil and I should come see." The former Primera, current fukutaichou of the Thirteenth, gazed over the assortment of equipment with a thoughtful air. "I think she was understating things. What exactly do you think you are doing?"

"SHIT YES! They're evil as fuck, get me – mph!" A muttered kido from Mayuri silenced his captive. Starrk just folded his arms over his chest, looking at them severely as Szayel gave him an ingrating smile.

"Ah, Starrk, perhaps we can make a deal?" He said in a wheedling tone. However, Kurotsuchi was on his own ground and not inclined to make deals with a mere fukutaichou. He was deeply misjudging the arrancar he was dealing with but he didn't know that… yet.

"Zaraki taichou gave his permission for these experiments." He said firmly as Starrk gave him a jaundiced look. "Leave, immediately, or I will eject you." Szayel hissed at him but he ignored the arrancar, secure in the invulnerability of his sanctum. Kyoraku or Ukitake could have told him otherwise, but even if they had been present they probably wouldn't have. More likely, they would have been getting some popcorn.

"Mmmm hmm." Starrk greeted that with deep skepticism. "I've met and spoken to Kenpachi. He's not the sharpest tool in the shed but he is reasonably loyal to his own followers. However, you were tasked with removing the more fractious arrancar from captivity and delivering them to their new taichou. Did you, perhaps, neglect to tell Zaraki taichou that Grimmjow now belonged to the Eleventh?" Starrk said and Szayel sighed, putting a hand over his face as Mayuri looked faintly surprised, beneath his makeup. "Did you, perhaps, just ask him what he wanted done? And did he say something along the lines of 'I don't care'? And what would his reaction be if I wandered over and told him that his newest recruit is being dissected, hmm?" Starrk paced closer, dropping his arms from his chest and shoving his hands in his pockets as he deliberately invaded Kurotsuchi's personal space. The man leaned back, finding the Primera's affable smile and gradually growing weight of reiatsu to be moderately intimidating.

"Ah… what is his IQ?" He asked his new assistant and Szayel answered in a pained tone.

"153. The superior gifted range… and Lilynette is 136, which is gifted." His tone went back to wheedling. He knew who held the power here and it wasn't them. "Starrk, I know you don't want to have more children. Perhaps we could arrange to sterilize – "

"OI! Evil bastard! No way!" Lilynette poked her head in as her bigger half looked pained. "Don't you dare! I want more of these! Lots!" Then a little canine head joined hers, looking at the two scientists with wide blue eyes. Lilynette was holding the little baby in her arms, intend on showing her off to the world.

"Lilynette, I told you to get out of here." Starrk admonished her before looking back at Szayel. "I'm afraid we both owe Grimmjow something for helping to rescue Lilynette from Nnoitra. Now, do you mind handing him over or will this have to get ugly?" He asked pleasantly before flaring his reiatsu. Szayel winced as Mayuri took a step backwards.

"What interesting power levels!" Nothing could keep him down for long, however. "Do you suppose I could scan – " Szayel poked him in the side urgently. "Ah, perhaps not at the moment. Oh?" Szayel whispered something to him. "Really? Excellent! You can show me that data later." He regarded the Espada in his lab sadly before brightening. "It shouldn't be hard to find another test subject! Not as powerful of course but I'm sure one of the arrancar will cause trouble sooner or later." Kurotsuchi said cheerfully and blue eyes rolled from his research bed.

"Yes, quite. Starrk, would you care to do the honors?" Szayel said pleasantly and Starrk gave him an amused look. He knew what the former Espada was thinking… he didn't want to be anywhere near an infuriated Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Looking over the bindings he undid them, freeing his 'friend'. Then he had to catch the former Sexta before he could make a try for revenge.

"Calm down, it's just the way they are." Starrk wasn't upset with Szayel or Mayuri. He understood their inquisitive and completely amoral nature quite well. Grimmjow growled, his blue eyes flashing but Starrk was unmoved. "Seriously, if you cause trouble you'll be back on that bench. Come on, I need to get you to the Eleventh." Grimmjow glowered at Szayel, muttering a few threats as Starrk calmly but firmly escorted him out of the room. Lilynette followed along behind them, completely cheerfully.

"…Thanks." Grimmjow said grudgingly after a few moments and Starrk just shrugged.

"We did owe you." Although not too much. He'd gotten there well before Nnoitra could do anything. Still, Grimmjow had gotten Lilynette out of harms' way and that was worth something. "Consider us even. Although, Lilynette, what were you doing down there?" There was one obvious reason but Starrk was hoping that wasn't it. Was she insane? Then his other half surprised him.

"I was going to see if they had some birth control stuff that'd work on me." Starrk stopped dead in his tracks, giving her a shocked look. She blinked at him innocently. "What?"

"What? You… that's completely the opposite of what you wanted before!" Why had she changed her mind so completely? Lilynette sighed and rolled her eye as Grimmjow cleaned out an ear with one finger.

"I'm a girl, I can change my mind whenever I want. But no, see, I was thinking." She said in a businesslike tone. "You're kinda boring but nice when you're normal and I guess I'm okay too – you got something to say?" She challenged a sniggering Grimmjow.

"Nah, I'm good. Frog in my throat." He said with a semi-serious expression. She sniffed at him before continuing to talk.

"Whatever. We get really weird when we're knocked up. So I was thinking we should give these shinigami some time to get to know us before we have another one. So, you know, they're not tempted to toss us into a wood chipper." Lilynette said, cleaning out her ear with one finger. Sylva made a cute little sound before waving her shortened arm. That caught Grimmjow's attention.

"Woah! What happened there?" He asked and Starrk grimaced as Lilynette scowled, cuddling their infant.

"Gin." Starrk said shortly as the Sexta winced. "Her brother was killed." He was buried, now. They had named him after Starrk's father. He hadn't been the best man in the world, perhaps, but he'd been far from the worst and Starrk had loved him. "In case you're wondering, she looks like that because of a family curse." Grimmjow would have no clue.

"Yeah? I figured it was because you're a wolf hollow." He said, which wasn't a terrible guess. Hollow genetics could be strange. Making it out of the Twelfth, Starrk and Lilynette jumped into sonido, Grimmjow following close behind. Starrk wasn't surprised. The Sexta would know he couldn't outrun the Primera, and it would be safer to stay close to him.

Safer, though, went out the window when they met Zaraki again.

"Oi, why you bringing that fucker back?" Zaraki asked. He was just lazing around, watching some sparring going on in his practice yards. Grimmjow snarled at him and Starrk sighed, rubbing his face as Lilynette giggled.

"He's your new Fourth Seat. He'd an unruly monster so I'm sure he'll fit in fine." He said, feeling tired. All of this was too much effort, he wanted to go take a nap.

"Why the fuck would I agree to this?!" Grimmjow asked and Starrk rubbed a hand over his face. "No one asked me for my opinion! What if I want to go back to Hueco Mundo and fuck this place?"

"The shinigami have taken Los Noches so that might be hard…" He started but Lilynette interrupted cheerfully.

"Aw, come on Grimm! You'll love it here! You know how you get to be in charge around here? You kill that guy!" She stabbed a finger at Zaraki, who was watching them with a bit of curiosity. "In front of everyone! But be careful 'cause you've only got one shot!" She said and Grimmjow blinked, looking at them disbelievingly.

"Really?" Starrk could understand why he had trouble believing it. That was actually typical hollow interactions, the sort of thing that Aizen and the others had discouraged. There was a rumbling chuckle and they all looked as Zaraki straightened, grinning.

"That's how you become Kenpachi. That means the one who loves to kill the most." Grimmjow met his grin head on with an equally feral grin. Starrk felt exhausted just watching it. Lilynette was entertained, though, he could tell. "You think you have what it takes?"

"Try me, asshole!" Grimmjow said arrogantly before drawing his sword. Starrk was sure he was about to get his ass kicked, but that was fine. Grimmjow seemed to consider that a challenge. And he would give the man a good fight, which was clearly what he was itching for. Starrk would have gone home but he could tell Lilynette wanted to watch, so he stayed.

If she was willing to take birth control, he was willing the humor his other half.


End file.
